Vitamin D and Particulate Matter–Associated Immune Responses in People Living with HIV: A Randomized Trial with Exploratory DNA Methylation Analyses
4 affiliations
- 1School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Yangzhou University, 136# Jiangyang Middle Road, Yangzhou 225009, China
- 2Central China Subcenter of National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, 1# Fuwai Avenue, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- 3Department of Global Health, School of Public Health, Wuhan University, 115# Donghu Road, Wuhan 430071, China
- 4Zhenjiang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 9# Huangshan South Road, Zhenjiang 212000, China
Abstract
Background: HIV-infected individuals with compromised immune function are particularly vulnerable to atmospheric particulate matter (PM). While Vitamin D is known to modulate inflammation and immune function, its effect on PM-induced immune impairment in HIV-infected individuals remains unclear. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Wuhan, China, investigated Vitamin D’s protective effects. In total, 80 participants received daily Vitamin D or a placebo and were followed up every 28 days across four visits. PM exposure was assessed 72 h before each follow-up, with immune cell counts, immunomodulatory factors, and whole-genome DNA methylation profiles measured. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the association between PM exposure and cell counts, and to identify CpG sites associated with Vitamin D. Mediating models further evaluated the role of these CpG sites in linking Vitamin D intervention to cytokine changes. Results: From March to July, 2023, 75 participants received 271 follow-ups. Vitamin D supplementation significantly attenuated the negative associations between PM exposure and CD4+T cell and CD19+B cell counts. Compared with the placebo group, the estimated PM-associated changes in CD4+T cell counts differed by 3.37%, 2.21%, and 1.96% per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations, respectively, while the corresponding differences for CD19+B cell counts were 4.71%, 2.98%, and 2.65%, respectively. Significant methylation changes were observed at 173 CpG sites related to Vitamin D. Of these, 25 sites—including cg27066321 (PEX14), cg08500112 (PDE4D), and cg25882580 (CACNG6)—were identified as potential mediators of the effects of vitamin D supplementation on TLR4, IL-6, and TNF-α levels, with mediation proportions ranging from 27.98% to 78.78%. Conclusions: Vitamin D supplementation may attenuate PM-associated immune alterations in people living with HIV, with DNA methylation potentially contributing to the underlying mechanisms.
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BibTeX
@article{ben2026vitamin,
title = {{Vitamin D and Particulate Matter–Associated Immune Responses in People Living with HIV: A Randomized Trial with Exploratory DNA Methylation Analyses}},
author = {Huimin Ben and Yuqian Hua and Zixuan Ping and Shouxin Peng and Yuxuan Tan and Xiuli Zhao and Zhihao Xie and Xiaoxia Liu and Wei Liang},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/nu18213710},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3710},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Vitamin D and Particulate Matter–Associated Immune Responses in People Living with HIV: A Randomized Trial with Exploratory DNA Methylation Analyses
AU - Huimin Ben
AU - Yuqian Hua
AU - Zixuan Ping
AU - Shouxin Peng
AU - Yuxuan Tan
AU - Xiuli Zhao
AU - Zhihao Xie
AU - Xiaoxia Liu
AU - Wei Liang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/09
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18213710
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3710
AB - Background: HIV-infected individuals with compromised immune function are particularly vulnerable to atmospheric particulate matter (PM). While Vitamin D is known to modulate inflammation and immune function, its effect on PM-induced immune impairment in HIV-infected individuals remains unclear. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in Wuhan, China, investigated Vitamin D’s protective effects. In total, 80 participants received daily Vitamin D or a placebo and were followed up every 28 days across four visits. PM exposure was assessed 72 h before each follow-up, with immune cell counts, immunomodulatory factors, and whole-genome DNA methylation profiles measured. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess the association between PM exposure and cell counts, and to identify CpG sites associated with Vitamin D. Mediating models further evaluated the role of these CpG sites in linking Vitamin D intervention to cytokine changes. Results: From March to July, 2023, 75 participants received 271 follow-ups. Vitamin D supplementation significantly attenuated the negative associations between PM exposure and CD4+T cell and CD19+B cell counts. Compared with the placebo group, the estimated PM-associated changes in CD4+T cell counts differed by 3.37%, 2.21%, and 1.96% per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations, respectively, while the corresponding differences for CD19+B cell counts were 4.71%, 2.98%, and 2.65%, respectively. Significant methylation changes were observed at 173 CpG sites related to Vitamin D. Of these, 25 sites—including cg27066321 (PEX14), cg08500112 (PDE4D), and cg25882580 (CACNG6)—were identified as potential mediators of the effects of vitamin D supplementation on TLR4, IL-6, and TNF-α levels, with mediation proportions ranging from 27.98% to 78.78%. Conclusions: Vitamin D supplementation may attenuate PM-associated immune alterations in people living with HIV, with DNA methylation potentially contributing to the underlying mechanisms.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -